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The Way of the Gun

How much would it cost for you to ignore the deaths of 20 children? For Senator Ted Cruz, it’s $10,150.00. Comparatively, Utah Senator Mike Lee is a bargain at $2,500.00. These are the amounts both men have most recently received from the National Rifle Association. The two men, along with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, sent a letter last month threatening to block any gun control legislation that they feel may threaten the Second Amendment. However, none of the proposals discussed prohibit a sane, law-abiding citizen’s right to bear arms.

With the proposed assault weapons ban (disappointingly) shelved, the three stooges have seemingly set their sights on background checks.

New background checks have an overwhelming amount of support from the American public. Every single poll shows this reform favored by the majority. A CBS News/New York Times Poll showed that 92% favored background checks for ALL potential gun buyers.

This week, nearly four months after the Newtown massacre, the Senate will debate gun control measures, with the centerpiece of the discussion being background checks.

The talks will involve expanding background checks to gun shows and online transactions (the method used to purchase firearms by the Colorado shooter). Which brings us back to that letter.

Yesterday, the letter was re-sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with the additional support of ten other Republican Senators. The letter reads: “We will oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions.” I have included the ten names below… along with the money amount they have most recently received from the NRA.

However, the NRA’s reasoning continues to grow more insane than before. NRA CEO Wayne Lapierre has claimed new background checks would lead to a national registry of gun owners that would eventually be used by the government to confiscate the nation’s guns. Or, as he explained at last month’s CPAC: “What’s the point of registering lawful gun owners? So newspapers can print those names… so the list can be hacked by foreign entities like the Chinese?”

Now China is after America’s gun owners. The lack of common sense on display at CPAC is Scanners-level mind blowing.

Although Rand Paul does not receive funds from the NRA, the kind of fuckery on display by LaPierre is the exact kind of crazy Paul revels in.

When Paul isn’t battling the mythical Amero, he’s assisting the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR).

The NAGR, a group to the right of the NRA, also believes the American government is coming for your guns. In fact, their most recent headline indicates the NRA is working with the Obama administration to do so.

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In our January entry, The Crazies, we mentioned the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty and how extreme gun advocates claim it will strip Americans of their right to bear arms. This is simply not true. However, this did not prevent Paul and the NAGR from creating their own U.N. controversy.

In a letter for the NAGR sent last year, Paul warns of a U.N. Small Arms Treaty: “You and I will only have a few short months to prepare for this battle…”

What’s really interesting is that there is no U.N. Small Arms Treaty. It is simply a fear-mongering term used for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. Those who live in reality understand that the existing treaty does not include any of the provisions claimed in Paul’s insane rant.

Even if Paul’s version of the treaty existed and was ratified by the United States, our Constitution supersedes international treaties. You would think a Senator would know that.

Hopefully, Paul can use the $1,000 he received from the NAGR to further his education.

Interestingly, the majority of Americans favor creating a federal database to track gun purchases. A Pew Research poll found even 60% of gun owners favor such a database.

The fact that these thirteen senators would rather filibuster this issue than discuss it is truly troubling, even among their fellow Republicans.

“I don’t understand it. The purpose of the United States Senate is to debate and to vote and to let the people know where we stand.” Arizona Senator John McCain said on Sunday.

While Senators Paul, Cruz, Lee and their posse scheme to block the will of the American people in the name of donations and votes, others are hard at work to find a solution to the nation’s gun violence.

Currently, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin III and Republican Senator Patrick J. Toomey are constructing a bi-partisan deal that includes background checks. On Tuesday, Vice President Biden will head a gun control event at the White House with different law enforcement officials.

The most memorable moment from the last State of the Union Address came when President Obama spoke of gun control legislation. Speaking on behalf of gun victims, Obama told lawmakers: “They deserve a vote.”

I can only imagine how much more effective Congress could be if these thirteen senators served the people, rather than the gun lobby.